Fiber optic communication systems have become increasing more popular in recent years. Fiber optic technology provides several advantages over the conventional copper wire-based technology. For example, fiber optic communication systems provide substantially increased bandwidth and allow for large volumes of data to be transferred quickly over long distances. In addition, these communications systems are not susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI).
With the increase in use of fiber optic systems, connectors have become necessary for connecting separate fiber optic cables. Connecting independent fiber optic cables can be challenging due the nature of optical fiber. For example, it is important that the optical fibers being connected are aligned properly in the axial and transverse directions so that there is minimal loss of light, i.e., data, at the connection.
As the fiber optic field has grown, there has been much effort devoted to developing various connectors to meet the needs of fiber optic systems. Connectors such as the SC Type connector and ST type connector became widely used as the industry standard. These types of connectors attempt to provide accurate and precise connection between fiber optic cables.
While fiber optic systems first gained acceptance as the backbone of many network systems, copper wire technology was still the most prevalent manner of connecting various workstations to the network system. Recently, however, the use of fiber optic technology has been extended to the complete network system including workstations, often referred to as fiber-to-the-desk (FTTD) applications.
The growth of FTTD applications complicates the requirements of optical connectors. In particular, connectors are needed that are small enough to be used in an office environment and that can be easily installed in the field. A group of connectors were developed to meet this need and are known as Small Form Factor (SFF) connectors. SFF connectors are designed to be the fiber optic equivalent of the small connectors used in copper wire technology, such as, for example, RJ-45 connectors. These small, efficient, easy-to-use SFF connectors have become a new industry standard and are expected to contribute to the continued growth of FTTD applications. One SFF connector of particular interest herein is the MT-RJ connector. Details on the construction of this type of connector can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,268, issued to Manning.
The increased popularity of FTTD applications creates a new problem as many large networks implement SFF connectors such as the MT-RJ connector. That is, a need has developed to limit user access to the particular fiber optic networks for security or other reasons. While some access limitation can be obtained through the use of software (e.g., passwords), further limitations are desirable using some type of physical barrier to the networks.
Therefore, what is desired is a means to regulate access to a network using some kind of physical barrier to prevent unauthorized users from connecting to the network.